Archive for October, 2008

I made this photograph near the end of my recent tour of Grand Teton National Park. It’s a view of the Teton Range from a quiet forest road near the park boundary. At the time, I remember being extremely thrilled to have finally discovered a compelling combination of autumn colors (which were not abundant during my visit). In fact, I camped overnight in my car nearby, so I could be there to photograph the scene in the soft light of early morning. The spectacular color display seemed to glow in the predawn light. In fact, the direct lighting later in the morning almost seemed to destroy the colors. This is one of the reasons that I typically begin my day of shooting – throughout the year – well before sunrise.

I am in the middle of processing a massive number of photos from this trip. I’m sure there will be a nice addition of fall images to my website very soon. Stay tuned for more.

I’ve had a few inquiries this week about how this photo was created. Although it looks like it might have been manipulated with software, the effect was created entirely at the moment of exposure – within the camera. (more…)

One of the questions I frequently receive through my website relates to how I’ve managed a to create a successful career with my photography. People are usually a little surprised by my answer – that photography is essentially a “hobby” for me. It’s not my full-time job. I’ve been working as a freelance graphic designer for about 10 years – designing anything from logos to brochures to websites. It’s how I spend 99% of my time during the work week. Despite the fun and success I enjoy with photography, I wouldn’t have it any other way. In fact, I’m very fortunate to be able to say that I am working my dream job. The creative diversity is hard to beat. More importantly, the spoils from my graphic design endeavors support my growing photography addiction.

Lately, I’m having a lot of fun designing websites for other photographers. I’ve partnered with a good friend of mine (and great photographer), Jack Brauer, in creating WideRange Galleries. It’s a relatively new collaboration, which combines Jack’s wonderful website gallery software and my creative design skills. We’ve been at it for a little over a year now. While I’ve had a lot of fun designing my own websites over the years, it’s been even more rewarding to create fresh websites for other artists. I thought I would take a moment to share some of our recent work, and allow you to enjoy the work of other photographers …

• Michael Anderson – a travel and landscape photographer, based in Colorado, who travels the world collecting inspiring imagery (website published yesterday)

• Marc Adamus – a wilderness photographer, based in Oregon, who creates stunning and truly unforgettable visions of nature

I’m currently sifting through more than 1,500 images from my recent “fall colors” photo excursion in Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming. It’s a monumental task, as you might imagine. In fact, most of my time is now being spent simply weeding through all of the junk images that I managed to collect during a week of all-day shooting. This year, there is a lot of junk. (more…)

It’s been six months since we moved from Colorado to Montana. So far, I love it here. I certainly miss Colorado, but I’m having a blast getting to know “Big Sky” country. I’ve moved from one beautiful place to another beautiful place. (more…)

I intend to use this blog to compliment my website JesseSpeer.com. The goal is to provide insight into the methods and stories behind my work – as a contrast to the purely visual presentation of my website. I will also share my latest photos, adventures and website updates. And I may occasional talk about other photography subjects, including current trends and gear. Anything goes, at this point. Stay tuned.

Please bookmark this page, grab the feed and return frequently. You can also click the “blog” link from any page in my website. And please do say hello, and comment freely! I look forward to the interaction.